Bedtime story
by Scotty CF
Summary: Maria reads Baby Shadow a story. Nice & short, enjoy!


**"Bedtime story." **

**Written by: C. E. Rodriguez **

**2002 **

**Author's note: Hello, my readers, here, there, and everywhere. I have written a story of Baby Shadow, and he's a real cutie. This is the first time I ever had Maria alive in my work, so this should be good. This is a story that takes place on the Space Colony ARK, and it's bedtime for little Shadow the Hedgehog. After making sure he brushed his teeth, Maria tucks her small hedgehog in bed, and Shadow could not sleep without a bedtime story, so Maria reads one for him. While reading the story "Stone Soup" the baby Shadow becomes hungry, and he follows the same ingredients in the story to make a pot of soup while Maria reads on. Thanks, and enjoy!**

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Inside an advance research laboratory room in the Space Colony called ARK, the Professor Gerald Robotnik was finishing another sheet of work paper, hoping to finish it soon. It was quiet in his study room, so he could think without any troubles, but then again, a certain black hedgehog, a young fellow with a cheerful heart came leaping into the room with excitement. He clapped his hands, chuckling cutely as he played, but after a jump; he somehow landed on the professor's work desk. His papers were sent flying into the air above, and the hedgehog watched with pure childhood wonder. When a sheet of paper fell onto his head, he chuckled again. 

"What?! Shadow?!" Gerald said, in surprise. "How did you get in here?" He asked. Without giving him a chance to answer, Gerald called, "Maria! Maria, come here this instant!" 

A young human girl with golden hair and blue eyes quietly stepped into the study room. "Yes, Grandfather?" She asked, and then she noticed young Shadow, playing on the desk. 

"Get him to bed at once!" Gerald ordered. "It's very late, and he should be sleeping." 

"Yes, sir. We're sorry, Grandfather." Maria apologized, and she blushed with embarrassment. 

"Ooh, Mini Maria!" Shadow called with joy, and he leaped into her arms, smiling. 

"Shadow, come with me now," said Maria, softly. "It's time for bed, and time to dream." 

"I'll dream of you!" Shadow said, happily hugging her close. 

Gerald cleared his throat, signaling for Maria to leave, and she did so, carrying Shadow. Maria placed the hedgehog down when they reached the bathroom, and she found his little red toothbrush. After she squeezed some toothpaste onto it, she turned back to see Shadow, and he was hiding under a bath towel. Maria slowly lifted the bath towel, and then Shadow squealed with delight in the game. Maria made him sit down, and she picked up the red toothbrush. 

"Okay, Shadow, open your mouth, and let me see your tiny teeth." She said.

"Oh, okay." Shadow said, and he opened his mouth, closing his eyes, and then Maria began brushing the hedgehog's teeth. After spiting and rinsing the toothpaste away, Shadow smiled. 

"Good, Shadow." Maria praised. "You have nice teeth. Now after you use the bathroom, I'll tuck you in." She left the room, slightly closed the door after her, and then she sat on the bed. 

"I'm done!" Shadow told the girl, and he hopped toward his bed. 

"All right, let's take your shoes off. Come here." Maria called, gently. 

Shadow tried to climb up the bed, but he needed Maria's help, so she gave him a little push. Shadow sat down, and he watched while Maria took his shoes off, and she pushed them aside. She softened his pillow after pulling the blanket back, and Shadow hopped into his place. 

"Maria, don't forget to cover me up." Shadow reminded her, and the girl smiled. 

"Of course I won't forget, I never will." Maria promised him, quietly. 

She pulled the blanket over the little hedgehog and Shadow snuggled under them, feeling nice and warm, safe at home. He rested his head on the pillow, and Maria kissed his cheek. 

"Goodnight, little Shadow, sweet dreams, and I'll see you in the morning." She whispered. 

"Goodnight, Maria." Shadow yawned, and he closed his eyes to sleep. 

Maria quietly stood up from sitting, and she walked toward the bedroom door. She turned off the light with a switch, and then suddenly, Shadow sat up in his bed with his eyes opened wide. 

"Maria!" He called, and the girl returned to the bedroom, switching the light back on. 

"What is it, Shadow? Is something wrong? Are you scared?" Maria asked. 

"No, it's worse, Maria! I can't sleep!" Shadow answered, being wide-awake now. 

"But you just got tucked in," said Maria with a smile. "Just close your eyes, and you'll sleep." 

"No, no, no," Shadow said, very sure. "I know I can't sleep because I need something." 

"Really?" Maria asked him, "What do you need? Are you thirsty?" 

"Well, yesh…that, too, but I also need a bedtime story. Please?" 

"Oh, you want me to read a bedtime story?" Maria asked as she stepped in the room.  

Shadow nodded. "Yesh!" He replied, cutely blinking his eyes. 

Maria agreed, and she stepped up to the young hedgehog's bookshelf. She pulled out a book of bedtime stories, and then she sat down on the bed. Shadow crawled up to her lap to see the pictures of the book. Maria turned the pages until she found one to read for that night. 

"Here we are," said Maria, pointing to the page. "I'll read you one called Stone Soup." 

"Huh? Stone soup?" Shadow said, "That sounds yucky. Why eat a rock? It's too hard!" 

Maria sighed. "I just read the title, and you're already asking a lot of questions." 

"Uh-oh, I'm sorry, Maria. I promise to be quiet." Shadow whispered. 

"No harm done. That's fine, now I'll start reading this story for you, and then you have to sleep." Maria quietly cleared her throat, and she turned a page to begin. 

"A long time ago, three soldiers came back from a war…" She started to read. 

Shadow wondered what war was, but he did not ask because of his promise to be silent. 

Maria continued reading the story. "The soldiers were tired and very hungry, but they had no food to eat. The soldiers went to a town, but the villagers would not share their food with the soldiers…" 

Shadow looked at the picture of the village with wondering eyes, very curious. 

Maria turned a page of the book to continue. "These villagers hid their potatoes in cellars. They tucked vegetables under their beds. They even hung meat inside closets, and they stuffed barley in pillowcases…" 

Shadow looked under his pillow, but he found no barley. He looked under the bed, but no vegetables were seen, and so he sat down again next to Maria as she began to read the next page.

"All the food in the village was hidden, and they refused to feed the hungry soldiers, who came to their town. Then the three soldiers tricked the villagers. They told them that they could make a pot of stone soup. The soldiers put water and stones in a pot…"

Suddenly, Shadow felt real hungry. It was quite difficult to listen to a story of good soup with an empty stomach, so what is a young hedgehog to do? Shadow quietly left the bedroom while Maria kept reading. She did not know that he was gone. Shadow quickly returned to the room with a small pot, and he placed a stone inside the water that he filled in the pot. Then he listened. 

Maria read, "A girl zoomed over with salt and pepper…" 

And then Shadow quickly found some salt and paper, and he shook a little into the pot.

"Somebody brought onions for the soup…" Maria continued, and Shadow heard her. 

The little hedgehog ran for the kitchen nearby, and he brought an onion for his soup. 

"Then came celery and carrots…" Maria read in the story, and Shadow found them. 

"After that came potatoes…" Maria read, and Shadow opened a sack of potatoes.  

Maria kept reading, and as she did, Shadow brought the ingredients according to the story. "The town miller brought barley, and a lady brought milk. A person brought meat…" 

Shadow quietly panted after running in and out of the bedroom, from the kitten to the cooking pot in his room, trying to follow the story-line for soup ingredients, and he did very well. He sat down next to Maria again, just in time to hear the ending of the bedtime story. 

"The soup was rich. The soldiers and villagers had a feast fit for a king and queen. The soup was served on a table. People jumped for joy and there was so much excitement. The soup was yummy and it was extra special. After dancing and celebrating, the people were ready for sleep. The night came, and the soldiers were welcomed to sleep in the villagers' beds." 

Maria closed the storybook after finishing it. "There, and that's the end." She said. 

"Wow, I like that story, Maria. Thank you." Shadow said, smiling while looking up at her. 

"You're welcome, and I'm glad you enjoyed it." Then before Maria could tell him to sleep, she smelled something in the bedroom. "Wait, what's that smell, Shadow?" She asked him. 

"It's stone soup." Shadow answered, innocently. 

"What?" Maria asked, very confused. Then Shadow led her to the pot of soup he made. 

"You see? I made it. I followed the book." Shadow told her, pointing to the cooking pot. 

"That's so sweet of you." Maria said, and Shadow brought her a teaspoon.

"Here, try it for me." Shadow requested, and Maria could not refuse. 

"Thank you." She said, softly. Then she used the spoon to gather a little of the stone soup. Maria lifted it to her mouth to taste it, and Shadow watched her without blinking his eyes. 

"Is it a goodie?" Shadow asked when the girl finished. 

Maria nodded her head, surprised at the taste. "Yes, it's pretty good, Shadow. Great work." She smiled and stroked his head, gently. There was a nice, calm moment of silence, and then…

"Maria!" Professor Gerald called. "Is that hedgehog in bed yet?" He asked from the hallway. 

"Oh no, it's Grandfather. He'll be angry." Maria whispered, and Shadow gulped. 

"Don't worry, Maria. It was my idea, my soup, and my bad. It's not yours." He said. 

"No, Shadow," said Maria. "If Grandfather becomes angry, I'm still with you." 

"Oh, so we'll get into trouble together?" Shadow asked in a whisper. 

Maria nodded. "Yes." She whispered, and then Shadow nervously sat on her lap, and he held her with his eyes closed because he was afraid of the Professor yelling. 

When Professor Gerald stepped into the bedroom, he was surprised, but he did not appear to be angry. "Maria, Shadow, what's going on in here? And…what's that I smell?" He asked. 

Before Maria could try to explain, Shadow leaped to his feet. "It's stone soup." He replied. 

"What is that?" Gerald asked, and then he said, "Strange, I do not recall that in my studies…"

"I just made it," said Shadow. "I followed the book to make it. Here, try some." 

Gerald shrugged his shoulders, but he accepted the offer. He took the teaspoon from the little hedgehog. Then Gerald tasted the soup, and it was very good to eat. "It's delicious!" He said. 

Shadow proudly smiled, and Maria sighed with great relief. 

"Still," Gerald finished. "It's time for bed now. Maria, see to it that he sleeps." 

"Yes, sir." Maria said, obeying him, and then Gerald left the bedroom, sleepy himself. "That was too close." Maria whispered, and Shadow tried another sip of the soup. 

"Yummy, good." Shadow said, and then Maria had to brush his teeth again. 

After that, Maria tucked Shadow in bed, covered him with a warm blanket, kissed his cheek, and she wished him a goodnight before leaving the bedroom. She turned off the light, and Shadow let his sleepy eyes close. He had the sweetest dreams. The ARK was settled down for the night. 

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THE END 

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**Copyright: Shadow the Hedgehog and other related characters are owned by ****SEGA. I do not own him. This is only a story that I wrote for sharing, and not for moneymaking. Thanks.**

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